Lantana plant named ‘Balucwhit’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Lantana  plant named ‘Balucwhit’ characterized by its white-colored flowers, dark green-colored foliage, and upright and spreading growth habit.

Latin name of genus and species of plant claimed: Lantana camara.

Variety denomination: ‘Balucwhit’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lantanaplant botanically known as Lantana camara and hereinafter referred to bythe cultivar name ‘Balucwhit’.

The new cultivar was developed by the inventor in a controlled breedingprogram during April 2000, at Arroyo Grande, Calif. The objective of thebreeding program was the development of Lantana cultivars with awell-branched and compact habit, continuous flowering and darkgreen-colored foliage.

The new cultivar was the product of the open pollination of thecommercially available Lantana variety ‘Simon Red’ (not patented),characterized by its red/orange-colored flowers, and upright growthhabit. ‘Balucwhit’ was selected in April 2001 at Arroyo Grande, Calif.as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the above stated openpollination and was initially designated ‘696-1’.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal stem cuttings takensince April 2001 at Arroyo Grande, Calif. and West Chicago, Ill. hasdemonstrated that the new cultivar reproduces true to type with all thecharacteristics, as herein described, firmly fixed and retained throughsuccessive generations of such asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new cultivar has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotype mayvary somewhat with variations in the environment, such as temperature,light intensity, and day length without, however, any variance ingenotype.

It was repeatedly found that the cultivar of the present invention:

-   -   1. Exhibits white-colored flowers,    -   2. Forms dark green-colored foliage, and    -   3. Exhibits an upright and spreading growth habit.

Plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of the female parentprimarily in flower color and growth habit.

Of the many commercially available Lantana cultivars known to theinventor, the most similar to ‘Balucwhit’ is ‘Robpatdov’ (U.S. PlantPat. No. 10,882). However, in side-by-side comparisons, plants of‘Balucwhit’ differ from plants of ‘Robpatdov’ in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of ‘Balucwhit’ have larger leaves than plants of        ‘Robpatdov’.    -   2. Plants of ‘Balucwhit’ have fewer inflorescences per plant        than plants of ‘Robpatdov’, and    -   3. Plants of ‘Balucwhit’ have more flowers per inflorescence        than plants of ‘Robpatdov’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs show, as nearly true as it is reasonablypossible to make the same in color illustrations of this type, typicalflower and foliage characteristics of the new cultivar. Colors in thephotographs differ slightly from the color values cited in the detaileddescription, which accurately describes the colors of ‘Balucwhit’. Theplants were grown for 10 weeks in a greenhouse at West Chicago, Ill.

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of the overall growth and flowering habitof ‘Balucwhit’.

FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view of a single inflorescence of‘Balucwhit’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The chart used in the identification of colors described herein is TheR.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England,1995 edition, except where general color terms of ordinary significanceare used. The color values were determined on Jul. 22, 2003. Thereadings were taken between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. under natural day lightconditions. The plants were produced from terminal stem cuttings takenfrom stock plants and were grown in a double polycarbonate-coveredgreenhouse in West Chicago, Ill. under conditions comparable to thoseused in commercial practice. The plants were grown in 10 cm pots for 10weeks while utilizing a soilless growth medium. Greenhouse temperatureswere maintained at approximately 75°-85° F. (24°-29° C.) during the dayand approximately 62°-68° F. (17°-20° C.) during the night. Greenhouselight levels were maintained at 4,000 to 10,000 footcandles during theday.

-   Botanical classification: Lantana camara cultivar ‘Balucwhit’.-   Parentage: Open pollination of Simon ‘Red’ (not patented).-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal stem cutting.        -   Time to initiate roots.—Approximately 7 to 11 days.        -   Time to develop roots.—Approximately 4 weeks.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Habit of growth.—Moderately vigorous. Forms lateral branches            at every node. Pinching enhances basal branching. A mature            plant, 10 weeks after the planting of a rooted cutting,            measures approximately 31.9 cm in height from soil level to            top of plant plane and approximately 35 cm in diameter (area            of spread) with 3 main branches.        -   Form.—Upright and spreading.        -   Branch.—Shape: Quadrilateral. Strength: Strong. Length:            Approximately 32.1 cm. Diameter: Approximately 3.3 mm.            Texture: Hirsute. Color of young supple branch: 146C. Color            of mature woody branch: N199A. Internode length at middle of            stem is approximately 4.3 cm.        -   Foliage.—Type: Simple. Arrangement: Opposite. Orientation to            stem: Obtuse. Fragrance: Faint, spicy. Shape: Ovate. Margin:            Crenate. Apex: Acute. Base: Obtuse. Texture of upper            surface: Moderately pubescent. Texture of lower surface:            Densely covered with short, stiff hairs. Leaf length:            Approximately 9.3 cm. Leaf width: Approximately 4.9 cm.            Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color of upper surface of mature            foliage: Closest to 147A with veins of 146D. Color of lower            surface of mature foliage: 147B with veins of 146D. Petiole            length: Approximately 1.2 cm. Petiole diameter:            Approximately 2 mm. Petiole texture: Both surfaces:            Moderately covered with short, stiff hairs. Petiole color:            Both surfaces: Closest to 146D.-   Flowering description:    -   -   Flowering habit.—Freely flowering.        -   Natural flowering season.—Year round in greenhouse            environment and spring through autumn in outdoor garden.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Type.—Corymb.        -   Shape.—Spherical.        -   Size.—Depth (height): Approximately 2.1 cm. Diameter:            Approximately 3.8 cm. Number of flowers per inflorescence:            Approximately 43 fully opened flowers at any one time.        -   Bract.—Each flower is subtended by a single bract. Shape:            Linear. Length: Approximately 4 mm. Width: Approximately            0.6 mm. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture: Lower surface            is densely pubescent, upper surface is slightly pubescent            with short hairs. Color of both surfaces is 144B.        -   Peduncle.—Shape: Quadrilateral. Length: Approximately            7.9 cm. Diameter: Approximately 1.5 mm. Angle to stem:            Acute. Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent with very short            glandular hairs and moderate amount of short stiff hairs.            Color: 144A.-   Flower description:    -   -   Shape.—Salverform. Buds open in progression from center to            margin of inflorescence.        -   Fragrance.—Light, sweet.        -   Aspect.—Upward, outward.        -   Lastingness of bloom.—Approximately 5 days from first color            on outer buds to last floret dropping.        -   Bud.—Shape: Roughly spherical. Length: Approximately 2.8 mm.            Width: Approximately 2.8 mm. Color: 158A.        -   Corolla size.—Length: Approximately 1.2 cm. Width:            Approximately 1 cm.        -   Petals.—Five, non imbricate, non-symmetrical, fused at base            forming corolla tube. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Obtuse. Margin:            Entire, ruffled. Color when first open: Upper surface:            Lighter than 9D at margin, 9B around tube opening. Lower            surface: 155D. Petal color when fully open: Upper surface:            155D at margin, 6D around tube opening. Lower surface:            Lighter than 155D. Texture of upper and lower surfaces:            Glabrous.        -   Upper petal.—Length from throat: Approximately 7 mm. Width:            Approximately 8 mm.        -   Lateral petal.—Length from throat: approximately 7 mm.            Width: Approximately 4 mm.        -   Lower petal.—Length from throat: Approximately 7 mm. Width:            Approximately 7 mm. Corolla tube — Length: Approximately            1.3 cm. Diameter at tube opening: Approximately 1.5 mm.            Diameter at base: Approximately 1 mm. Texture of outer            surface: Densely covered with short hairs. Texture of inner            surface: Glabrous except for hairs around opening. Color of            outer surface: First open: 2C. Fully open: 5D. Color of            inner surface: 155D.        -   Calyx.—Shape: Tubular, formed by 5 fused sepals with acute            tips. Calyx length: Approximately 6 mm. Calyx diameter at            apex: Approximately 1 mm. Sepal length: 6 mm. Sepal width:            1 mm. Sepal texture: Glabrous. Sepal color: 1D.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Four per flower, fused            (adnate) to the corolla tube. Filament length of free            portion: 2 mm. Filament color: 155D. Anther shape: 2 lobed.            Anther length: 0.7 mm. Anther color: 162A. Amount of pollen:            Moderate. Pollen color: 4D. Pistil quantity: One per flower.            Pistil length: 3 mm. Stigma shape: Oval. Stigma length:            0.5 mm. Stigma color is 144C. Style length: Approximately            2 mm. Style color: 154D. Ovary length: 0.5 mm. Ovary color:            144C.-   Seed and fruit production: Neither seed nor fruit production has    been observed.-   Disease and pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens or pests common    to Lantana has not been observed.-   Hardiness zone: ‘Balucwhit’ is hardy in zones nine (9) and above.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Lantana camara plant named ‘Balucwhit’substantially, as herein shown and described, which:
 1. Exhibitswhite-colored flowers,
 2. Forms dark green-colored foliage, and 3.Exhibits an upright and spreading growth habit.